Scotland's fish and shellfish farmers have been urged to take advantage of a pot of £3 million aimed at the sustainable development of the Scottish fisheries industry, which includes aquaculture.

The European Commission on Wednesday presented an EU strategy to make the dismantling of old ships safer for workers and the environment.

A new fully automated nephrops tailing machine, with the capacity to tail 120 prawns a minute, will be demonstrated for the first time at Fraserburgh Fish Market on Friday 5 and Saturday 6 December (after the fish sale from around 8am till 10am). Seafish would like to invite interested parties to come along to see the machine and ask questions.

Irish processing company Connemara Seafoods Ltd, were presented with the Seafood Exporter of 2008 award, sponsored by Bord Iascaigh Mhara, (BIM), the Irish Sea Fisheries Board at the recent Annual Export Industry Awards in the O’Reilly Hall, U.C.D, Co. Dublin.

At half past five on Tuesday morning the Finnish registered fishing vessel Zeeland on passage from Holland to South America, manned by three Indonesians, reported that they were taking water and sinking 20 nautical miles south-east off Portland Bill.

At Snaresbrook Crown Court on Wednesday, November 19, 2008, Captain Gonchar Volodymyr aged 53, was sentenced to two months in jail, and will be deported upon completion of the sentence after pleading guilty to being the Master of a ship whilst being over the alcohol limit.

Scotland's innovative approach towards sustainable fisheries is set to be rolled out across the rest of Europe as part of the new Cod Recovery Plan agreed in Brussels.

The latest initiative by the fishing industry to support conservation measures in the North Sea is due to begin in Peterhead next week.

Fisheries Minister Helga Pedersen on Friday issued licences for 65 new Norwegian aqua farms for salmon and trout nationwide for 2009.

West coast fishermen's representatives have challenged the scientific basis for the latest EC proposals which could have drastic consequences for the industry in Scotland's peripheral areas. They have undertaken to supply fresh scientific evidence to try to ensure that the west coast fishing grounds and all the shore-based employment they support, can survive.

First Minister Alex Salmond has helped launch the latest initiative by the fishing industry to support conservation measures in the North Sea.

Federation of Irish Fishermen (FIF) leaders attending fisheries talks in Brussels today welcomed the success of Minister Tony Killeen in resisting EU proposals for the extension of fishing effort controls to the Celtic Sea, the area South and South West of Ireland. These proposals, if adopted would have doomed the fishing fleet to a spiral of further decimation from an already precarious position.

Scotland's innovative approach towards sustainable fisheries is set to be rolled out across the rest of Europe as part of the new Cod Recovery Plan agreed in Brussels.

Fusion Marine has won a major order for the manufacture and supply of salmon farm cages for Scottish Sea Farms, underlining the strong working relationship forged between the two companies in recent years.